Thursday, October 29, 2009

Just thinking.....Game 1 Thoughts



Good first game last night. The umpires got the one "weird" call that came up correctly as Rollins was going to "drop" the ball and turn the D.P. Matsui handed him a gift by straying off the bag. It would have been a more interesting play if he had dropped it.

REPLAY FROM MLB.COM

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091028&content_id=7568728&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb



Gerry Davis is one of the better plate umpires out there--he has an umpiring stance named after him and everything--although some find his strike zone a bit tight. And I'm not referring to Phillip Hughes. Hughes is a AAAA pitcher at this point, who hasn't really earned the right to bark at all. Throw some strikes first, get some guys out. Last night, you were just begging and that should be beneath a pin-striper.

If it was me, I would have gone Lee-Hamels, but you can't argue against the drama and theater that is going to come along with Pedro Martinez returning to Yankee Stadium. Pedro looks like an artist out there, I just worry that his stuff might be too much like Lee's and the Yankees will adjust. Plus, the Yankee lefty hitters will have more of an impact and Pedro doesn't really hold runners on really well. But, we shall see.

GO PHILLIES!!!

Are we just building a new house of cards?

An alternative lesson from the double dip the economy took in 1938 is that the GDP created by massive fiscal stimulus is artificial. So whenever it is eventually removed, there will be significant economic fall out. - David Einhorn, Greenlight Capital



Are people are finally "getting" the media?

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 85% of U.S. voters trust their own judgment more than the average reporter when it comes to the important issues affecting the nation. Only four percent (4%) trust the average reporter more.
Eleven percent (11%) aren’t sure.

Ninety percent (90%) or more of voters ages 40 to 64 trust themselves more than the average reporter.

In part, this is because just 23% of all voters say the average reporter is about the same as they are ideologically. Fifty-three percent (53%) think the average reporter is more liberal than they are, while 16% say more conservative.

I did not know that, JK...

One of the most pervasive political visions of our time is the vision of liberals as compassionate and conservatives as less caring.

People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes. - Thomas Sowell



Constitutional Myths: How the Supreme Court mangles the Constitution

The Separation Of Church and State - from Crosswalk.com

The phrase "separation of church and state" does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson wrote that the 1st Amendment erected a "wall of separation" between the church and the state (James Madison said it "drew a line," but it is Jefferson's term that sticks with us today). The phrase is commonly thought to mean that the government should not establish, support, or otherwise involve itself in any religion. The Religion Topic Page addresses this issue in much greater detail.

But in early 1947, an entirely new agenda gripped the Court. In Everson v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment erected a "wall of separation" between church and state which must be kept "high and impregnable." Astonishingly, the Court cited no precedent from previous rulings. The case was an official betrayal of America's Christian heritage.

In this landmark decision, the Court lifted the words "separation of church and state" totally out of context from a single Thomas Jefferson letter, not even an official document, changed his intent, totally ignored the context of the message, Jefferson's many other words, and the many utterances of other Founding Fathers and all legal precedents, and instituted this radically new concept in law.

Jefferson's letter was to a group of Baptists who were concerned about a rumor that another denomination was about to be made the official national denomination. He wrote to assure them that such would not happen because the First Amendment has erected "a wall of separation between church and state." This, however, was in the context of the entire letter, emphasizing that God's principles would remain in government, but that the government would not run the church. The words "separation of church and state" do not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution or amendments. The First Amendment merely states that the Congress shall make no law that establishes a religion, or prohibits its free exercise. The purpose of the First Amendment was to prevent what the Founding Fathers had experienced in Great Britain: government control by a single denomination. In those days, the word "religion" was synonymous with the phrase "Christian denomination."

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Giants Top Minor League Prospects

  • 1. Joey Bart 6-2, 215 C Power arm and a power bat, playing a premium defensive position. Good catch and throw skills.
  • 2. Heliot Ramos 6-2, 185 OF Potential high-ceiling player the Giants have been looking for. Great bat speed, early returns were impressive.
  • 3. Chris Shaw 6-3. 230 1B Lefty power bat, limited defensively to 1B, Matt Adams comp?
  • 4. Tyler Beede 6-4, 215 RHP from Vanderbilt projects as top of the rotation starter when he works out his command/control issues. When he misses, he misses by a bunch.
  • 5. Stephen Duggar 6-1, 170 CF Another toolsy, under-achieving OF in the Gary Brown mold, hoping for better results.
  • 6. Sandro Fabian 6-0, 180 OF Dominican signee from 2014, shows some pop in his bat. Below average arm and lack of speed should push him towards LF.
  • 7. Aramis Garcia 6-2, 220 C from Florida INTL projects as a good bat behind the dish with enough defensive skill to play there long-term
  • 8. Heath Quinn 6-2, 190 OF Strong hitter, makes contact with improving approach at the plate. Returns from hamate bone injury.
  • 9. Garrett Williams 6-1, 205 LHP Former Oklahoma standout, Giants prototype, low-ceiling, high-floor prospect.
  • 10. Shaun Anderson 6-4, 225 RHP Large frame, 3.36 K/BB rate. Can start or relieve
  • 11. Jacob Gonzalez 6-3, 190 3B Good pedigree, impressive bat for HS prospect.
  • 12. Seth Corry 6-2 195 LHP Highly regard HS pick. Was mentioned as possible chip in high profile trades.
  • 13. C.J. Hinojosa 5-10, 175 SS Scrappy IF prospect in the mold of Kelby Tomlinson, just gets it done.
  • 14. Garett Cave 6-4, 200 RHP He misses a lot of bats and at times, the plate. 13 K/9 an 5 B/9. Wild thing.

2019 MLB Draft - Top HS Draft Prospects

  • 1. Bobby Witt, Jr. 6-1,185 SS Colleyville Heritage HS (TX) Oklahoma commit. Outstanding defensive SS who can hit. 6.4 speed in 60 yd. Touched 97 on mound. Son of former major leaguer. Five tool potential.
  • 2. Riley Greene 6-2, 190 OF Haggerty HS (FL) Florida commit.Best HS hitting prospect. LH bat with good eye, plate discipline and developing power.
  • 3. C.J. Abrams 6-2, 180 SS Blessed Trinity HS (GA) High-ceiling athlete. 70 speed with plus arm. Hitting needs to develop as he matures. Alabama commit.
  • 4. Reece Hinds 6-4, 210 SS Niceville HS (FL) Power bat, committed to LSU. Plus arm, solid enough bat to move to 3B down the road. 98MPH arm.
  • 5. Daniel Espino 6-3, 200 RHP Georgia Premier Academy (GA) LSU commit. Touches 98 on FB with wipe out SL.

2019 MLB Draft - Top College Draft Prospects

  • 1. Adley Rutschman C Oregon State Plus defender with great arm. Excellent receiver plus a switch hitter with some pop in the bat.
  • 2. Shea Langliers C Baylor Excelent throw and catch skills with good pop time. Quick bat, uses all fields approach with some pop.
  • 3. Zack Thompson 6-2 LHP Kentucky Missed time with an elbow issue. FB up to 95 with plenty of secondary stuff.
  • 4. Matt Wallner 6-5 OF Southern Miss Run producing bat plus mid to upper 90's FB closer. Power bat from the left side, athletic for size.
  • 5. Nick Lodolo LHP TCU Tall LHP, 95MPH FB and solid breaking stuff.